The 137th US Open is on our doorstep and will be getting under way at the end of the month. As we look forward and try to predict who will take out the final Grand Slam of the year, you have to ask yourself; does Federer have his hands on the trophy already after recently coming back into that devastatingly superb form that every tennis fan knows all too well?
Coming off the back of winning his 8th Wimbledon title, he is looking like he’s back to his best once again and hungry for more trophies. Federer has already won the event five times before; however, he hasn’t taken a title at the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York since 2017. That hasn’t stopped the tennis betting community believing in him though, and bet365 has him as the favourite to win the coveted trophy at 11/10, while Rafael Nadal is his closest rival at 9/4.
Unfortunately for tennis fans, reigning champion Stan Wawrinka won’t be able to defend his crown, succumbing to a niggling knee injury after competing at Wimbledon earlier this year. In a statement to the press, the Swiss said that this was the only solution if he wanted to keep competing at this level for years to come.
Wawrinka won the title last year after defeating Novak Djokovic in the final to take his 3rd Grand Slam of his career. No doubt he will be devastated not to be competing in this year’s event and defending his title.
Another reason this year’s competition will be slightly easier is the absence is two-time winner Novak Djokovic. Last month, the Serb announced that he would not be competing any more this year to recover from an elbow injury. Federer and Djokovic’s rivalry is well known and he is another huge player that won’t be able to challenge for the title this year.
So, who are the likely players to contest Federer in his quest for another US Open title? Rafael Nadal is the obvious choice and has won the event on two occasions previously. The two have never met before in a US Open final and this may be the year we finally get to see the two battle it out for the crown.
Andy Murray can’t be dismissed either though, and the Brit will be a major threat on Federer’s road to the final. However, he’s only recently overcome a hip injury that could have potentially seen him miss the tournament. Murray is third favourite to be the champion at $5.50 and many feel that this might be his year to take his second US Open after winning it back in 2008.
With so many key challengers currently out of action, it definitely narrows things down when trying to pick a winner. Coming off the back of winning a Grand Slam is always motivating though, and Federer may just find that this could be one of the easier US Opens in recent times.
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